1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an information processing device, comprising a song (music piece) playback device, and to a travel information voice guidance method, to provide voice guidance of travel information for a moving vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Vehicle-mounted navigation systems, which are devices providing information on the vehicle position during travel and guidance for the route to a destination for the vehicle driver and passengers, are well-known. Such navigation systems make use of GPS (Global Positioning System) equipment, receiving radio waves transmitted from satellites to calculate vehicle position information including the current vehicle position and the direction of travel based on received signals, use map data to retrieve routes from the vehicle position to a destination, display the vehicle position together with a map on a display device, and in addition display the route to the destination or the current direction of travel.
Vehicle-mounted navigation systems comprising voice guidance functions, which use voice output to provide the driver with a route to a destination or other travel information, are also well-known. For example, when the vehicle approaches an intersection on the route to a destination, the system provides voice output giving travel information, such as “turn right at the next intersection”.
Vehicle-mounted navigation systems comprising voice guidance functions are generally configured to operate in conjunction with vehicle-mounted audio equipment. That is, when the vehicle-mounted audio equipment is playing music, if the vehicle-mounted navigation system enters a state of providing voice guidance, the controller of the vehicle-mounted navigation system controls the audio equipment to temporarily halt music playback, or lowers the volume of the music playback, so that the driver or other user can easily hear the voice guidance of the vehicle-mounted navigation system.
However, for a user listening to music, there is the disadvantage that each time the vehicle-mounted navigation system provides voice guidance the volume of the music being played changes or the music itself is stopped, so that the music cannot be fully enjoyed.
This disadvantage is not limited to navigation systems mounted in vehicles or other information processing devices, but similarly applies to other information processing devices in vehicles comprising music playback equipment, which provide travel information through voice guidance.